Which mare is what colour? lol

They would both be called chestnut, not sorrel. Sorrel is really only recognized in American stock breeds, although it is the same colour, just different terms.

Stan - I bookmarked your page to peruse at a later date. Kate and Stella are lovely girls, similar to my two. My mother was born in Whangarei (sp?) so we have more than chestnuts in common.

How Clever - Why would I need an excuse? Sienna looks great in her woolly winter coat.

Just to be clear about her feeding program. Sienna receives routine groceries (freechoice pasture, water, hay, salt mineral licks). Serious groceries (lucerne stud mix) x 2 day. Frivoulos groceries (chopped fruit/veg/garlic/ACV in oats) once a day and Treats (popcorn and dates) often enough that she catches herself.

Bubba13 - Thanks for your concern. She is 2.5 years into recovery from starvation and neglect. Apart from having no molars and a clicky stifle she is as healthy as a horse. LOL She has a whole new lease on life since Piper joined us.

Everyone - so is the lighter (brassy) chestnut what is called sorrel in the US?

No, she doesn't look great. She looks hungry.

If she has no molars as you say she can not adequately grind up hay. As it is, it seems you give her plenty of roughage, but very little by way of protein and fat.

I can not understand how you don't see a problem with the way that poor mare looks.

Howclever, I see why you are concerned about the mares weight but the poster is asking about their colours not their weight. We all have different opinions on what a healthy weight is, I have seen alot worse. :-D
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A healthy weight for horses is hardly a matter of opinion. Research the body conditioning score and you will learn that the ideal weight for all horses is around a 5. Keeping them at that score is the hard part, especially for mine who would gladly waddle around at an 8 or 9. As responsible horse owners we need to scrutinize our horse keeping practices and adjust them according to the horses' needs.

Both would be called sorrel in the US.

If a vet has not deterimined a customized feeding program for the old mare, that really needs to be done. Some old horses who have been neglected will never quite recover 100%, but she's rather well beyond the "skinny" point, really to the appearance of emaciation. Something physical must be going on that's preventing her from gaining or keeping on weight.

People, no-one is more concerned about Sienna than I am! I am a campaigner for responsible, natural and sustainable horse keeping and consider myself to be beyond lucky to have the time, resources and land to do it on.

Sienna is an aged arab x stockhorse who came to me more dead than alive 2 and half years ago. BCS has increased from 1.5 to 2.5 in that time. She'll be assessed again in May next year and we (vet and me) are aiming for a 3.

Hark I hear horses outside my window. It must be Sienna's breakfast time. Must go.

It should not take 2 and a half years to bring a horse back from starvation. Especially when the horse still looks like an RSPCA case!

It took me 6 months to get my boy from a 2 to a 4.5. It is unacceptable for that mare to look like that still 2 and a half years later.
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Daymares - have you tried some senior feed and rice bran? It can get weight back on quite nicely, especially for those horses whose teeth just can't do the job anymore...

First of all, I think both are sorrel and very cute horses. :)

I'd suggest to look into beet pulp and hay pellets to supplement the horse if you don't do it already. Lack of the teeth is a real challenge for them to munch on the hay/grass, the mash however would go much more easily.